Papa Heichou is Best Heichou
by TwilightRein
Summary: In a single night, Eren and Levi lose the person they love. And Levi takes it upon himself to take care of 5 year-old Eren. [Rating subject to change]
1. Chapter 1

**Papa Heichou is Best Heichou  
****Chapter 1**

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There was something terrifying about the flames that engulfed the house.

Levi couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight, as wood spilt, twisted, and darkened under the intense heat of the flames. The black smoke rising from the house melded into the dark, starless night. More parts of the house became enveloped in the hot flames. There was a loud screech and the roof caved in, shattering the windows on the 2nd floor.

Everything at once became loud and focused; people screaming at him, the wailing sirens of fire trucks, and ear shattering crying.

A hand grabbed Levi's shoulder and he was roughly pulled away from the burning house. A group of firefighters ran past him, shouting instructions at each other. Levi stared at the man who pulled him away from the house; a friend whom happened to be a volunteer firefighter.

"Levi, are you hurt anywhere?" Erwin asked, looking him over.

His clothes were singed and tattered and there was a deep cut on his leg but he was fine. The crying got louder and Levi's world focused on the child in his arms, clinging to him. The child was alright, maybe just a few singed hairs but Levi had pulled him out of the fire moments before it got worse. Levi clutched the child closer to his chest, the adrenaline leaving his body and causing his legs to buckle.

Levi didn't cry. He knelt on the ground, holding the child tighter to his chest as everything but the child's crying fell away from his world. Behind him, the fire consumed the house like an unstoppable monster.

"…I'm sorry, Eren."

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That night, Eren Jaeger lost his parents; Carla and Grisha Jaeger.

Levi and Eren spent the night in Erwin's apartment. Eren fell asleep after he had exhausted himself and Levi only managed an hour of sleep. He mostly stayed up, getting update texts from Erwin. From what Erwin told him, the fire originated in the basement where it had plenty of materials to spread and burn. It was a faulty propane tank that had caused the fire to escalate even more.

Levi stared at his phone, exiting from Erwin's text as more of the few friends he had texted their concern. He set the phone aside on the kitchen counter, going to the fridge for water. He didn't feel like eating much.

Levi knew Carla and Grisha before Eren was born, when he was around 14 years old. Clara owned a small flower shop that was on his route when he walked to school every day. He would always stop to look at the various arrangements displayed on the window. To him, the arrangement of flowers always looked beautiful but he never once stepped inside the shop.

It was Carla who befriended Levi first. He was walking back home, approaching the flower shop when he noticed Carla standing in front of her shop with a potted plant. He politely greeted her but kept on walking. Carla had waved her hands towards him, beckoning him closer.

"I've noticed you always stop by to stare at the flowers." She said. Levi remained silent. Carla simply smiled and walked towards him. "I feel flattered that you enjoy the flowers so much. If you like, I'd love if you took this plant with you."

Levi, still choosing to remain quiet, stared at the woman. He stepped closer and grabbed the pot, making Carla smile.

"I'm Carla." She greeted.

"…Levi."

From there, Levi slowly got to know Carla. Eventually, he found himself staying at her flower shop for hours after school, to the point that Carla had hired him. One way or another, he became intergraded into her life. And Levi, who hated being too social, didn't mind at all.

Carla was what Levi always imagined a functional family to feel like.

"Levi?"

Eren's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. Levi stared at Eren, the kids' face covered in snot and dried tears, still dressed in last night soot-covered clothes. Levi stood up and picked Eren up, walking over to the sink and setting the 5-year old on the counter. He grabbed a paper towel, wet it, and began to clean Eren's face.

"Where's mama?" He asked.

Levi's face darkened as he finished cleaning Eren's face. Expecting and tired teal-green eyes watched Levi, waiting for an answer.

"Eren, your mom and dad died last night in the fire." Levi could see the connections that Eren was associating with the word. He patiently waited.

"Mama and Papa are gone?"

Levi nodded, "They're gone to a faraway place and we can't see them again." Tears began to weld at the corners of Eren's eyes, bubbling over as he began to cry. He reached for Levi and Levi gathered Eren into his arms. Tiny hands clung to his shirt.

"Is Levi gonna go away forever too?" He asked through his crying. Levi's heart painfully throbbed and he held Eren tighter.

"I'm not going anywhere, Eren." Levi's voice came out hoarse. "I promise I'm not going anywhere."

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Over the next few days, there was a flurry of paper work Levi had to look over in order to adopt Eren. Carla and Grisha eloped so they didn't have any close relative take cake of Eren and even if they did, Levi would've refused them. The transition was easier when Carla's lawyer read the will. And with Erwin's help, whom was vastly more knowledgeable in the fancy garble of legal words, everything Levi wanted to do regarding Eren was handled smoothly.

Of course, this meant a major change in Levi's life.

Levi lived far from where Eren used to live. He decided to move out of his apartment and moved to the flower shop Carla owned. There was a small studio apartment on the 2nd floor of the building. Levi also wanted to keep Carla's flower shop open. In the 6 years he'd know and worked for Carla, he knew how to run the business side of the shop after learning and working the shop when Carla was pregnant with Eren.

It was a sentimental move but Levi didn't want to the flower shop to disappear as well.

A few of Eren's clothes managed to survive the fire, along with a small decorative key that belonged to Grisha.

A week after the incident and with everything settled, Levi moved into the flower shop with Eren.

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The first order of business was cleaning the 2nd floor. Carla rarely used the 2nd floor and when she did, it was mostly to store things that wouldn't fit in the back room downstairs. The 2nd floor was decent in size. Two bedrooms, a medium sized bathroom and the main living room with an extruding counter from the wall that separated the kitchen made up the entire 2nd floor. Aside from the dust, which seemed to be the biggest problem, cleaning wouldn't be too much work.

Eren was mimicking Levi's cleaning outfit, clumsily trying to tie an apron behind his back with fierce determination. Levi leaned on his mop, watching with amusement before he decided to step in.

"Oi, Eren."

Eren looked up from his task. He walked over to Levi, turning his back towards Levi.

"What're going to clean first?" He asked as he finished tying the knot. Eren quickly turned around, hoisting the cloth he held in the air.

"The tables!" He exclaimed, running towards the living room. Levi set aside the mop and grabbed the room to begin sweeping the floor. That was how the two spent most of the morning. By noon, most of the house was spotless. Levi pulled off the bandana he wore then took out his cell phone. Hanji was late and he hadn't heard word from her. He was about to dial her number when he heard several loud car beeps from outside.

There she was.

And there went Eren, running towards the door that led downstairs.

"Eren, don't fuckin-, I mean, dammit." Levi followed after Eren, reminding himself to keep his swearing in check around Eren. He could hear Hanji's loud voice and Eren's squeals as he was picked up by the brown-haired woman. She easily tossed him into the air, catching the child and swinging him around. Petra walked around the pair and greeted Levi.

"How are things?" She asked.

"Better. We finished cleaning the house upstairs."

"And Eren?" She asked, looking towards Hanji and Eren. "You mentioned he wasn't sleeping well."

"He's getting better at sleeping." Levi replied, the permanent furrow between his brows slightly deepening. Hanji had Eren on her shoulders, Eren pointing direction for her to run at.

"Hey, you know you can rely on us, right." Petra said, raising her arm and flexing it. Levi's expression softened and he nodded.

"Hanji," He called out, walking towards them. "Quit tossing him so high." Hanji grinned and pulled Eren of her shoulders, handing him back to Levi. Eren was wearing her square-framed glasses, eyes wide and out of focused. Levi took them off as Eren blinked a few times.

"You sure this is all you're going to need." Hanji said as she walked towards the back of her truck. She pulled open the doors, where a few boxes and furniture were loaded on the back. Most were his clothes and new clothes he bought for Eren, a desk, a couch, his tv, and a few chairs. And boxes full of college materials and personal matters.

As well as several potted impatiens he'd grown.

Levi nodded, "Most of my furniture was rented either way."

Hanji nodded and waved over Petra. "C'mon, let's unpack these things. Levi's treating us to a round tonight!"

"Hey, when did I-" But his words were cut off as Hanji began to laugh over his words. Levi sighed and he stepped aside as Petra came to help with the couch.

Eren squirmed in his grasp until Levi set him down on the ground. He diligently looked up at Levi, holding out his arms. "I wanna help!"

Levi looked into the truck, searching for anything Eren might be able to carry. He leaned in and grabbed the smallest pot of various purple shaded impatiens. "Think you can handle this?"

Eren vigorously nodded. Levi kneeled in front of Eren and handed to pot to him. With his tiny arms and hands, Eren clung to the pot like his life depended on it and began walking towards the stairs.

* * *

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Later that night, Levi found himself at a relatively quiet bar with Erwin, Hanji, and Petra. It was a bar they frequently visited on the weekends. They sat in a booth, Hanji and Petra downing in drinks while Erwin sat next to Levi. And Eren sat on Levi's lap, shoveling the cheese-covered French fries into his mouth.

"Everything's finally settled?" Erwin asked.

Levi nodded, pulling Eren's face back to wipe all the excess cheese around his mouth then setting his head free so Eren could continue his annihilation of the cheesy fries. Hanji grinned, gently elbowing Petra's side as she pointed at him.

"Somehow, I feel like I should preserve this image." She said, slowly reaching for her cell phone. Levi glared at her but Hanji was long used to those glares. She grinned as she took his picture. "I'll forward it to you later so you can see for yourself."

"Did you change your schedule for the new semester?"

Levi nodded, once gain pulling Eren's head back to wipe the cheese off his face. "I managed to change the hours for all my class to the morning. It gives me plenty of time to pick up Eren up at the daycare." At the mention of his name, Eren looked up at Levi. He reached for a fry and held it up for Levi, thinking Levi called his name for a French fry.

Levi leaned over and ate the fry, staring down at a beaming Eren. When he came back up, his three friends were desperately trying to hold back their laughter. Levi rolled his eyes, "You bastards." He muttered.

The three laughed loudly while Levi just ignored their idiocy.

The rest of the night continued in that warm atmosphere.

Levi enjoyed nights like these. He had very few friends for most his life. He knew Erwin the longest, since he was a child. He met Hanji and Petra in high school, along with a few others. For the most part, people generally stayed away from Levi. He's heard all the excuses many times.

"_Doesn't Levi look scary?"_

_"He rarely takes. You never know what he might be thinking."_

_"I hear he's gotten into dozens of fight. You should just stay away from him." _

_"What a creep."_

He's heard everything. And while all of it was lies, there was truth behind each. For one, he couldn't really change how he looked so there was no helping the matter of how his appearance came across. He had no real desire to attempt to change for other people's acceptance. Levi also wasn't much of a social talker and he didn't open himself up to many people.

But he did talk a lot. Only a few, like Erwin, Hanji, or Petra knew that Levi was a talker. And all of the fights he'd ever been in were initiated by the attacking party.

In the end, Levi just let them say whatever they wanted. He knew he probably should've done something to quell the rumors over the years but Levi didn't care enough. Either they liked him or they didn't.

* * *

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It was near midnight when Levi arrived home with Eren. Eren was sleeping, head resting on Levi's shoulder. Levi opened the door to the apartment, heading start to his room. He set Eren on the bed then went to go find his pajamas.

Once he had Eren changed, Levi simply removed his shirt and belt and climbed onto bed beside Eren. He pulled the covers closer and watched as Eren slowly shuffled closer towards Levi's body. He was whimpering, body twisting side to side.

"Eren, I'm sorry I couldn't save Carla and Grisha. I promise I'll protect you from here on out." He pulled Eren closer, gently patting his head until Eren settled down.

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Levi woke up with a heavy weight on his chest. He groaned, lightly swatting the thing that was on him. Eren giggled, grasping Levi's hand. He glanced towards his alarm clock., the red numbers lazily telling him it was six in the morning. Levi groaned again and slowly sat upright.

Kids had an unholy power of being able to wake up at the crack of dawn with full energy.

"Levi! Mikasa and Armin are waiting!"

"Right, the daycare." Levi mumbled. He yawned, stretching his arms above his arms. Eren smiled and he jumped off the bed, running towards the kitchen.

"Eren, your teeth!" Levi called out.

"Right!" Eren replied and Levi could hear Eren's pitter patter as he ran back towards the bathroom. Levi left the room, joining Eren in the bathroom. Eren stepped on the small plastic step so he could reach the sink. He grabbed his tooth brush, holding it out to Levi as he squeezed out the tooth paste for him and himself. When Eren was done, he hopped off the step and sat on top of the toilet lid, watching as Levi shaved the sparse morning stubble.

"Make sure you have everything in your backpack." Levi said, wiping off the excess shaving cream. Eren nodded and ran off towards his own room. Levi left the bathroom and walked to the kitchen, starting on breakfast.

It was a normal morning for them. Levi has always been Eren's baby sitter when Carla needed him. In fact, he was sure Carla was taking advantage of his services. But he never minded even if she was. Levi, whom hated kids, didn't hate Eren. Even when Eren was a chubby-faced crying machine, he didn't mind it at all.

"_Levi, you're actually a gentle person, aren't you."_

Carla's voice ringed in his mind. He shook his head, clearing his mind just in time to notice the pancake he was making was burning.

"Shit!" He quickly flipped over the pancake, the side coming up nearly black.

Eren's mess of a hair and those sparse eyebrows of his were peeping around the corner of the kitchen, big eyes focused on Levi. One look from Levi sent Eren running back to his room, giggling. He really needed to watch his language around Eren.

With breakfast, a stack of pancakes and eggs, done; Levi set the plates on the counter. Eren wandered into the kitchen when he smelled the food, somewhat decently dressed. He was missing a sock and his shit was on backwards.

"Eren come here." Levi said, kneeling on the floor. "You have your shirt backwards."

"Ah." Eren looked down at his shirt.

"Lift your arms." Levi said. Eren nodded and lifted his arms as he was told, watching Levi.

"Levi?"

"Yeah?" He replied, pulling back down Eren's shirt.

"You look sad." He said. Eren grabbed Levi's hand, clutching his fingers with both of his tiny hands. "Don't look sad. I will take care of you!"

Eren was staring at Levi with the same fierce determination he wore when he tied his own shoes. Levi couldn't help but chuckle, lightly flicking Eren's forehead. He picked him up and set him down on his chair.

"You're 13 years too early to worry about me." He said, sitting beside Eren. "But, I'll be in your care then."

Eren grinned, happy to see the sadness no longer on Levi's face.

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Levi dropped Eren off at the daycare at 9am. Eren nearly smashed through the car door when he spotted Mikasa and Armin standing in front of the entrance of the colorful building, waving to him when they saw Eren through the window. Levi parked the car and unlocked Eren's side of the door.

"Be careful." Levi said. Eren nodded and opened the door, nearly sprinting towards Mikasa and Armin. Levi stepped out, closing his door and grabbing Eren's backpack from the passenger seat. The woman by the entrance, watching out for the other kids who were arriving, greeted him as he entered. Inside he was met with the sounds of many high-pitched children voices.

Eren had run off with his friends to the back of the large room with all the toys. Levi looked around and spotted the head daycare woman. She was talking to a mother and Levi waited nearby until she was done.

"Good morning, Ilse." He greeted once the mother was gone.

"Good morning, Levi. It's good to see Eren back." She said. Levi nodded, scanning the room until he spotted Eren reading a large picture book with Armin and Mikasa. "How has he been?"

"For the most part he's been okay. He's been gradually sleeping well since the accident. But can you please keep an eye out when he falls asleep."

"I'll make sure to watch him." Ilse said. "What about you? Carla always said you were like a son to her."

"I'm alright." He said. And he said no more than that but Ilse seemed to understand. Another parent was walking towards her and she excused herself. "I'll see you later then." She said as she left.

Levi walked over to where Eren was. The picture book was abandoned in favor of clutching a stuffed dinosaur doll that was nearly his size. "Eren, go put your backpack away." He said as he held out the backpack. Eren handed the dinosaur to Mikasa as he grabbed his backpack from Levi and went to put it in the cubby with his name on it.

"I'll see you later, Eren." Levi said, ruffling to the top of Eren's head.

"Right!"

* * *

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* * *

From there Levi drove to the university.

This was his second semester as a liberal arts major. Erwin had, much to Levi's annoyance, tried to persuade him into switching to a criminal justice major. But Levi held no love for that career path. Hanji was a genetics major and a semester before she was neurobiology major. And without her knowing, Levi and Erwin were placing bets whether she would change her major again by the time the spring semester started.

Erwin placed bets on her staying with the same major while Levi thought otherwise.

Levi spotted Hanji by one of the entrance to the building, grinning and holding up to cups of coffee. He quickened his pace. Either Erwin was an idiot or he under estimated how truly spontaneous Hanji really was.

* * *

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The rest of the week passed by quickly but was difficult.

On Tuesday, he worked at a furniture shop, mainly doing heavy lifting and deliveries. By 4pm, he'd picked Eren up and from there they went home. Levi cooked dinner while Eren recounted his whole day to him then gravitated towards the TV. After dinner, they showered and both fell asleep afterwards.

The next day was the same as Monday, with the slight change of only attending one class that only lasted for two hours. After that, Levi had enough to time to go to a café and sit in his favorite corner while he finished some of his assignments.

From Thursday on, it was just work, pick up Eren, then put him to bed when it was his bed time while Levi stayed up to finish the rest of his assignments. By Saturday afternoon, having picked up Eren from Armin's house, Levi was exhausted. He'd tossed himself on the sofa and heaved a big sigh. He was thankful for Sunday being his day off of work.

Eren was digging through Levi's bag, fussing around until he found the movie Armin said he needed to watch. Case in hand, he walked over to the TV, inserting the DVD into the player and turning the TV on. He plopped himself right down in front of the large screen and the screen flickered to life.

"I've told you not to sit so close."

Eren found himself being lifted into Levi's arms and pulled away, sitting on the sofa instead. The movie began playing and Eren's attention was instantly captivated by the cartoon. After a small pause, Levi ruffled up Eren's hair and went to the kitchen to start on dinner.

From here on out, it was just the two of them.

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**you don't know how badly i've wanted this fic in my life**

**like, i searched and searched and read and read but just couldn't find a levi/eren fic that met my needs**

**so i took matters into my own hands**

**also because papa heichou is indeed the best heichou**


	2. Chapter 2

Over the course of February, Levi gradually became used to the constant strain of raising a child.

Not that Eren was a burden but there was a significant difference between babysitting for a few hours to 24/7. It was a skill and he was gradually getting better at balancing time between Eren, work, and assignments. By the end of it all, it meant he was less likely to feel like utter crap at the end of each week.

Of course there were times when he would accidently oversleep, making mornings a hectic flurry of chaos trying to find Eren's constantly misplaced shoes.

Or that one Thursday morning where Eren, after many unsuccessful attempts of trying to wake Levi up, took Levi's phone and somehow managed to ring the alarm right next to his ear, ripping a loud resounding 'fuck' from the startled man. Then Levi spent the whole morning persuading Eren why 'fuck' was a bad word and how he should never repeat it again, much less sing it at the top of his tiny impossible lungs.

Which subsequently lead to a vicious lecture from Ilse when Levi picked Eren up from the daycare. Eren's face was covered in dried tears and snot. When he spotted Levi from the door, the water works started again. He apologized through his blubbering and insisted he would never say that bad word again.

It was chaos but it was becoming a manageable chaos.

Eren's restlessness during the first few weeks after the fire eventually settled. He slept like the rock he used to be. And, in turn, Levi fretted less over Eren's mental well being and focused more on mundane things like making sure the kid ate his vegetables.

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On Sunday morning, Eren woke up at his usual time of 6am. He crawled away from Levi's arms, yawning, and proceeded to climb over Levi's body. Levi grunted but Eren paid him no attention; he needed to pee. He hopped off the bed, making his way out the room and into the bathroom.

A toilet flush later, he walked back into the room. Levi was up, groaning and stretching his arms above his head. Eren smiled brightly and jumped onto the bed again, slinging himself over Levi's back.

"Good morning, Levi!" He excitably greeted. Levi grunted back a response that may have been a muffled 'morning'. While Levi was used to getting up in the mornings, by no means did it mean he woke up with the same endless energy Eren had.

"…you kids have an amazing ability." Levi said as he pulled Eren off his back and into his arms.

Eren happily stared at Levi. "I do?"

Levi nodded and stood, walking out the room. "Since today is a special day, you get to choose what we'll be having for breakfast." Levi set Eren on top the chair in the kitchen.

"What day?" Eren asked.

"Think about it. It's the only time beside Christmas where you get gifts."

Levi grabbed the apron hanging from the hook on the wall beside the fridge. Eren sat perfectly still, his brows furrowed together in concentration. Levi leaned against the counter as he watched the small boy. He could see Eren's mind make the connection as he quickly raised his head, eyes widening as a big toothy grin spread on his face.

"MY BIRTHDAY!"

"And has the birthday boy decided on what we'll be eating?"

The pancakes with the white snowflakes on them!" Eren immediately answered, a tiny fist raised in the air.

"French toast?"

"French toast!" Eren repeated. Levi nodded.

"Go grab the eggs in the fridge." Levi said as he reached for the bread. Eren nodded and went to go follow Levi's order.

* * *

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* * *

It was noon when the doorbell rang. Eren, who was preoccupied with the show on the TV, sprang up from the couch, hauling ass towards the door. He paused, hand barely touching the doorknob as he looked back at Levi.

Levi had yelled at Eren enough time to know to wait for Levi's permission.

"Go 'head." Levi set the book he was reading down. Eren was out the door in a second, his loud tiny footsteps echoing in the narrow hallway. He opened the door downstairs to see Hanji and Erwin.

"Jee!" He shouted, flinging himself towards Hanji. Hanji caught Eren, holding him high in the air. Eren giggled excitably and Erwin merely sighed as he walked up the stairs to the apartment. Hanji and Eren's laugh echoed around him. Upstairs, Levi greeted Erwin by the door.

"Did you get everything?" He asked.

Erwin nodded, "We'll have everything set up by the time you come back."

Hanji came bursting into the living room, Eren riding on her shoulders. She knelt on the ground and he climbed off.

"Jee! It's my birthday!" Eren exclaimed.

"Ah, happy birthday! And how old are you now?"

"Five." He replied.

"Count one more finger." Levi said, looking around for Eren's shoes.

"Six." He said after a pause. Hanji laughed ruffled up his already messy hair. She grabbed him and set Eren on the kitchen counter, amusing herself with his eyebrows.

"Levi, you should play with his eyebrows." She said, squishing and moving his eyebrows around.

"What eyebrows?" Hanji moved aside so Levi could pull on Eren's shoes. "Erwin, you should share some with Eren."

That got a laugh out of Hanji.

"Only if you promise not to share your height with him."

Hanji was leaning against the counter, trying to breathe. Levi settled a particularly heated glare towards the taller man. He was tempted to knock that smug look of his face. But a tug on his shirt from Eren brought his focus back to the birthday boy.

"Where are we going?" Eren asked.

"The aquarium." Eren blinked, his expression somewhat blank until a wide grin shaped his mouth.

"Dolphins?!"

"Yeah."

"And sharks?" He asked.

"Definitely." Levi said as he set Eren down on the floor.

"Are they gonna eat me?"

"I'll throw you in myself." Levi replied. For whatever reason, that made Eren hop around with a smile. "Now go get your coat." Eren bolted for his bedroom.

"Where's Petra?" Levi asked, grabbing his car keys and wallet.

"At work. She'll come back later with the cake."

"Alright." He said. Eren ran back out, coat on, and latched himself to Levi's hand.

"Ready!"

* * *

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* * *

Before they went to the aquarium, Levi went to pick up Armin and Mikasa. As he pulled in front of Armin's grandfather house, the young boy was waiting at the front porch with his granddad, a big box held by his tiny arms. Armin instantly stood up, hopping off the rocking chair and crossing the lawn.

Levi stepped out the car, greeting the small blond.

"Where are we going?" Armin asked.

"The aquarium." Levi replied as he waved towards Armin's approaching grandfather. Those eyes couldn't possibly get any wider with wonder. Levi opened the door for Armin then explained to his grandfather the time he could pick Armin up from the apartment. With that set, Levi returned to the car and drove to Mikasa's house.

* * *

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Levi went over some ground rules before they entered the aquarium. But he wasn't concerned at all about their behavior. These three were surprisingly well-behaved together. Armin was a quiet and obedient boy. He always had a book in his hands when Levi dropped Eren off at the daycare. He was almost the complete opposite of Eren's in terms of how they acted.

Mikasa was quiet as well but mostly 'cause she didn't seem to like to talk much. Except when it came to Eren, which Levi had noticed when Eren first became friends with the girl.

Then there was Eren who was just simply Eren. Levi didn't want to think Eren was an idiot (although there were many moments where Eren always proved him wrong) but he was well-behaved. Levi didn't have much to worry there.

With the rules went over, Levi helped them out the car at the aquarium's parking lot and they headed towards the large, glass covered building. Eren was practically bouncing with every step.

Levi paid for their entrance fee and they walked through a short hallway, the walls painted with dolphins and fishes, walking into a large, lounge room with a wall of glass right in front of them. On both sides of the room were two hallways leading to different places.

Various schools of fishes swam behind the thick glass. The light that filtered through the water and glass illuminated the lounge, casting the entire room with a soothing shade of blue light, complementing the dimmed lighting of the room. Various schools of fish swam behind the thick glass. Eren immediately ran towards the wall, staring up in complete awe. Armin and Mikasa joined him, both taken aback.

Levi followed right behind them. He hadn't been to an aquarium since middle school. He forgot how amazing the place was.

"Armin! What's that fish!?" Eren pointed at a large, striped fish with many long needles on its body.

"A Lionfish. The books say the needles are dangerous." He answered. They spent many minutes like that; Eren pointing out different fishes and Armin naming most of them. Levi settled on a chair nearby, noticing the building wasn't as full as he thought. It was Sunday after all.

After Eren and Armin were done quizzing each other, Mikasa took their hands and led them back to Levi. "Where can we go next?"

Levi thought for awhile, flipping through the guidebook he took from the entrance. "I promised Eren I would throw him with the sharks."

Three pairs of eyes stared at him with awe. But it was Mikasa who raised the question, "Are you really gonna throw Eren in?"

"Let's find out."

* * *

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Much to Eren's disappointment, he couldn't swim with the sharks. The aquarium did, however, have a tunnel that went through the shark's tank. Eren was able to see them much closer than he had expected.

From there, they spent the entire afternoon looking at all the exhibits. Levi brought them to a special show about the penguins. At one point, one of the staff chose a few of the kids to help with feeding. Afterwards, they took a quick break and ate in the cafeteria. Not without first passing the gift store and the large plush shark doll that caught Eren's attention.

He brought Eren the shark doll, a penguin doll for Armin, and the orca whale doll Mikasa was not so discreetly eyeing. Towards the last of the exhibits, Levi saved the petting room for last. Armin, Mikasa, and Eren were in a large colorful room, looking at several open displays of crabs, snails, and other sea floor creatures. The three were surrounding a display managed by a staff that housed a horseshoe crab.

The woman was holding the horseshoe crab upside, displaying the many legs underneath. She was gently encouraging Eren to touch the legs, much to the horror of Armin and Mikasa. Levi was sitting with the shark, orca, and penguin. He watched as Eren pulled his hand away as soon as the horseshoe crab moved at his touch.

His phone beeped and Levi pulled it out of his pants. He opened the messenger, noticing it was from Hanji.

**Bring the little monsters back. Everything is set **

"Eren." He called out. Eren ran towards Levi as Armin tried to boldly touch the strange creature as well.

"Levi! That crab is super scary!" He exclaimed, not even remotely scared.

"Think you could ever eat one?" He asked. Eren quickly shook his head, making a disgusted face. "Let's say goodbye to the crab, Eren. We're going back home." Eren nodded, running back to Armin whom was rubbing his hands on his shirt to dry them. Mikasa was peering at the crab as it swam in its shallow tank. Eren informed them they were leaving and the trio walked towards Levi.

* * *

0o00o00o0o0o0

* * *

The ride back to Levi's apartment was much more subdued and quiet. But they still chattered with each other like gossiping old bingo-playing grandmothers. When he parked the car at the usual spot in front of the flower shop, Hanji was waiting out front. Seeing Hanji woke Eren up as he scrambled to the door. Mikasa and Armin both trailed after him. Levi gathered the bag of presents from Mikasa and Armin as he stepped out.

"Who's ready for a surprise?" She said, kneeling in front of them.

"I am!" Eren yelled. Hanji grinned and vigorously rubbed Eren's head.

"Let's have Mikasa and Armin go in first." She said. Levi walked over to Hanji and handed her the bag of gifts. "Levi, bring him inside in about a minute."

"Right." He lazily replied, scooping Eren up in his arms as he leaned against the window to the front store. He looked at the sky, watching the red and purple of the sky spread out. Eren was making growling noises, waving the shark around in the air.

Carla always read to Eren from a giant book about all the places on earth to see. The ocean was the place that had interested Eren the most. Even the walls on Eren's old room were painted blue with stickers of different sea creatures. His crib even had a mobile of dolphins and fishes. Carla had mentioned she wanted to take Eren to the aquarium for his birthday.

Since she couldn't be with them, he hoped Eren had plenty of fun.

A shark loomed in front of his vision and Levi looked down at Eren, who had gone quiet.

"Levi, is mama happy watching me in heaven?" Eren asked behind the shark. Levi stared at Eren, eyes slightly wide at the unexpected question.

"She is," He said after a thought. "Mama is always going to be happy so long as you are. Are you happy, Eren?"

Eren quickly nodded, tapping the shark's nose against Levi's. "Levi is here."

"Then mama is happy." Levi patted his Eren's head. "Now let's go see what surprise Hanji left you."

* * *

0o0o0o0o00o0

* * *

Armin and Mikasa were picked up around 8pm, with stomachs full of cake and near the verge of passing out. Erwin, Petra, Eld, and Hanji stayed after to make sure all the beer they brought was taken care of. Eren had enough of energy to keep playing with the block set he'd received from Hanji while they drank. Levi was at the counter, sitting beside Erwin. Hanji, Petra, and Eld where sitting on the opposite side.

"You freeloaders can go now." Levi said, nursing the 5th bottle in his hands. Hanji grinned and leaned towards Levi from across the counter.

"Ahaha, could it be that you're getting drunk?" She drawled out.

"That would be you." Erwin said, finishing his 10th bottle and not even showing the slight hint of drunkenness. Hanji laughed, sitting back down on the chair. Petra was beside her, head on her forearms. She was slightly snoring. Petra rarely drunk and when she did, 2 to 4 drinks was her limit.

She was the lightest drinker in their group.

"Hanji, give me your keys." Eld said as he stood up. He was the only one who hadn't taken a sip of anything beside water or soda. "I'm taking Petra to the car first." Hanji nodded and fished out her keys from her pants, sliding it towards Eld. He picked up the petite woman, carrying her in his arms, then grabbed the keys and headed out.

Having built a massive tower that somehow remained stable despite the precarious ways the blocks were set up, Eren stood and admired it. Satisfied with his work of art, Eren he walked over to Levi's side. When he neared Levi, Levi automatically picked Eren up and set him on his lap. Curious at all the empty bottles on the counter, Eren made to grab one near Levi but it was pulled away.

"Just because you're six doesn't mean you're old enough for this." Levi said, setting it out of reach.

Hanji leaned back over the counter, "Speaking of, Eren," Eren looked at Hanji. "Got any plans now that you're six?"

"What the he…, he's just a year older. What is he going to do that's different?" Levi asked.

"Doesn't he start 1st grade this year?" Erwin asked.

"Shit." Levi didn't even try to hide that one. Of course there was 1st grade. He needed to make a note to enroll Eren to one of the local schools. He was sure there were papers regarding which one somewhere in his room.

"Here." Erwin handed Levi another bottle.

"Thanks," Levi gratefully took it, drinking half of the bottle in one swing. "And wipe that shitty grin off your face." Erwin raised an eyebrow and Levi settled a glare towards the blond. Thankfully Eren was still thinking about Hanji's question to pick up the foul language.

He didn't need another incident of Eren singing another offensive word.

"I want to make Levi less sad."

Eren's answer stopped whatever response Erwin was going to say. Levi looked down at Eren, surprised. Hanji wasn't smiling anymore and she looked at the child.

"What do you mean?"

Eren opened his mouth to answer but Levi clamped his hand over it. "It's time you guys left." He said. "And you," He looked down at Eren. "Go get changed for bed." Eren nodded, Levi's hand still clamped over his mouth. Levi set him down on the floor and he ran off towards the bed room.

"Ah, you suck." Hanji grumped, grabbing a case from the small stack before she left. Erwin stood as well but not before he stopped by the doorway.

"Are you still thinking about Carla?"

Levi sighed but he nodded. The bastard would know either way if he were lying. And between his few friends, Erwin was the only one who knew he had loved Carla. He didn't have anyone else he could talk or bitch to.

"You did everything you could to save her." He said, waiting. Levi barely nodded, looking away from the older man. From his peripheral, he watched Erwin leave, closing the door behind him. Levi stared at the half empty beer bottle in his hand.

"I know that."

Eren walked back into the kitchen, donning his shark pajamas. Levi took a long look at him, big green eyes expectantly staring back from the mouth of a shark.

"And you..." He started, suddenly moving towards Eren. Eren shrieked, quickly turning on his heels to run. But his legs got tangled with each other and he fell. Levi stopped and watched as Eren get right back up. He peered behind him, pulling down the shark hoodie.

They stared at each other and Levi took a step forward. Eren squealed and ran again, this time managing to stay on his feet. Levi chuckled and followed after him.

"First thing tomorrow, I need to find those damned paper."

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o0

* * *

**{6 years back}**

It was by gradual association that Levi found himself working at Carla's flower shop. One morning as he passed her shop to go to school, Carla casually asked if he'd like to work in the afternoon. Levi found himself accepting the offer. Three months later and he realized he didn't hate it at all. For the most part, it was easy work since Carla still did a majority of the flower arrangements.

Levi helped with cleaning the shop and eventually to managing the income of sales. The store only ever got busy during the summer and holidays. Unfortunately for Levi, it was summer and Carla had booked one or two June weddings and, going by her word, they weren't easy.

If he had to compare, it was definitely better than spending the afternoon alone in his large home like he usually did. Or sleeping in Erwin's room.

The flower shop began to feel more like a home than his actual house did.

On a lazy and stupidly hot Friday, Levi was watching the shop while Carla was gone to grab a few supplies from her home. The bell by the door rang and Levi looked up from the book he was reading to see Erwin enter the shop.

"So this is the shop." He commented, looking around as he walked to the counter.

"How'd you find this place?" Levi closed his book.

"Not that hard to find." Erwin replied. Levi sucked his teeth in annoyance.

"Noisy bastard."

Erwin smiled, "Can't help my nature." He leaned over the counter towards Levi, lifting Levi's face so he could see a clear view of his sullen expression. "At least you're fighting less." Erwin took note of the fading bruise on the left side of Levi's face. That was the only evidence of a fight Erwin had to break apart a few weeks back.

"It's not like I ask for 'em." Levi replied, staring back at Erwin's face. He slapped Erwin's hand away from his face when he decided that the older blond teen was touching him for far too long. "What do you want?"

"Wanted to make sure you weren't getting into trouble."

Levi settled a very annoyed glare at Erwin. "I don't need to be looked after. Now get the hell out."

"Right, right." Erwin calmly said, heading towards the door. "I'll see you later tonight."

"Whatever."

For awhile, it was quiet again. A few customers entered the shop to buy; some wanted a delivery to go out. It was the same usual business. As Levi was writing down the recent purchases in a notebook, Carla walked in, carrying the supplies she needed.

"Welcome back." He greeted.

"How was the store?" She asked, setting the box onto of the counter.

"Two pickups and three arrangements were sold."

"Which one?"

"…the ones I made." He admitted. Carla grinned.

"I told you your flower arrangements were beautiful." Levi grumped and said nothing, going back to writing down the transactions.

Levi spent weeks staring at her flower arrangements prior to meeting Carla for the first time. And a month in, when he started working for her, Carla began teaching him about floral designs. Whether it was something he'd picked up by watching, being taught by her, or some innate talent he had, Levi's flower arrangements were always built beautifully.

"You took awhile." He said, hoping to change the flow of the conversation. Praise always left him baffled and speechless. "Did something happen?"

"I stopped to take a pregnancy test." She said, heading towards the back room. Levi looked up, hearing the commotion of boxes being dropped and moved.

That was unexpected. Was she maybe…?

"And?" He asked. It was quiet back there.

Was she really? Levi tried to remember the recent mornings when he'd greet her before heading to school but Carla always seemed fine. But he'd never seen what morning sickness looked like so he couldn't tell. Anxiety was filling his body up. He didn't want to hear her words.

Carla walked back into the front room and her honest, beautiful grin told him everything.

"Levi, I'm going to have a baby."

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

* * *

It was close to midnight when Levi came limping home.

His clothes were torn and blood stained in places. Already darkening bruises marred his face and arms. Levi was also sure there were more on his stomach and back. At some point, he remembered a bat. He couldn't be sure anymore.

Levi entered his house and was surprised to see a light on in the kitchen. That was new. He didn't remember if his mother had left a note saying if she would return. Cautiously, he approached the threshold to the kitchen.

"You're home."

His mother stopped what she was doing, giving her tattered son a disgusted look over. She went back to looking for some documents she always stored in the kitchen drawer. She still wore her business attire and probably had no intentions of staying the night.

"What're you looking for?" He asked, already knowing her response.

"Nothing that concerns you." She curtly replied. Having found the documents she needed, Levi's mother dropped a thick envelope onto the table. "This is my half of your allowance. Your father will stop by tomorrow to drop the other half off. Try not to look like a disappointment."

With that, she left.

Levi stared at the envelope and left it there. He turned and walked out the kitchen, heading to his bedroom upstairs. When he opened the door, Erwin was waiting for him. The older teen immediately stood as he noticed the limp Levi was walking with.

Levi sighed, letting go of the door and his strength as Erwin caught him before he fell. With his help, Erwin led him to the bed and like a mother hen, began to check over his body.

"What happened?" He asked, helping Levi out of his jacket.

"Isn't it obvious?" Levi asked, raising a brow. Erwin grasped Levi's hands, running his thumb over severely bruised and bloodied knuckles. His face was covered in splotches of bruises. There were even more on his arms. Levi pushed Erwin's hands away and took his shirt off. Right across his abdomen were several red, angry welts, a few which were caked with dried blood. They were already turning an ugly shade of green.

"There was a fight."

"Or several." Erwin replied. He sighed as he stood. "You were doing so well too."

He left the room to get the first aid kit. While Erwin was gone, Levi stripped down to his boxers and sat back down. He'd been through enough fights to know the routine Erwin was gonna have him go through. Aside from more welts and bruises, his legs and knees were relatively unharmed. When Erwin came back to the room with the kit, Levi looked up at him.

"Carla is going to have a baby." He said, bracing his forearms on his knees as he stared at the floor.

"This is why you sought after fights?" Erwin asked and he kneeled in front of Levi. He took out the bottle of antiseptic and hydrogen peroxide and began to clean Levi's hands.

"It wasn't hard." Levi said. And it really wasn't. Since meeting Carla three months ago, he'd stopped seeking fights and avoided all the routes he knew they were waiting to ambush him. It wasn't hard to pick a fight with the local thugs who thought they were the hottest thing around.

"Do you love her that much?" He asked, bandaging Levi's hands now that they were clean. He felt Levi's hands go taunt as he waited for a reply. Levi remained quiet, eyes focused on Erwin's large hands.

He wasn't going to admit his feelings out loud. Not now and definitely not in front of Erwin yet.

Erwin continued his treatment, moving himself on the bed. He turned Levi towards him and held Levi's face in his hands, watching as the younger teen closed his eyes.

Erwin doubted Levi's parents had ever seen this docile side of him. Or even seen Levi smile, which was a hard thing to imagine. Levi's face and usual glare didn't indicate he was capable of smiling. But he was capable of smiling. It was the environment that Levi had grown up in that made those smiles elusive.

Erwin had seen his fair share of Levi's, often cocky, but no less genuine smiles. His parents were close friends with Levi's. They were both raised by nannies and Erwin himself helped raise Levi since he was young. Erwin had an advantage Levi's own parent didn't have.

And that was trust.

Erwin started to clean Levi's face, wiping the dried, smeared blood around his nose and thin lips. When Levi wasn't brooding or glaring, or both, he was actually quite handsome. That Levi would let Erwin get so close spoke volumes on the trust he placed in Erwin.

He leaned closer, to see the lashes on Levi's eyes before he pulled away and sighed, gingerly twisting Levi's head side to side. It was a shame to see Levi's face marred with ugly bruises again.

"I think they pulled a knife on me." Levi said. He steadied himself and stood up, turning his back towards Erwin. Sure enough, he could see several long cuts across his back. They weren't particularly bad or deep cuts. His eyes trailed towards Levi's shoulders where one cut was still bleeding. It seemed to be the only that was deep.

"Just one knife?"

"Fuck if I know." He dryly answered. "I was busy."

Erwin shook his head, grabbing the last clean towel and began to wipe the blood off. It was then that he noticed the cut rang through the wings Levi had tattooed on his back. Although calling them wings were a bit of an understatement.

They were very stylized, just three, thick tapered lines that curved and pointed upwards and a much smaller and shorter tapered line that cured downwards. Levi got those 2 years ago when he was twelve at a shady tattoo shop away from town unbeknownst to both Erwin and Levi's parents. His parents wouldn't have cared either way but Erwin would've protested if he'd known.

"It cut through your right wing." He said, pressing a finger around the cut. Levi shrugged, turning back around to face the blond.

"I'll get it retouched if it needs to."

"At least tell me they didn't get away scratch-free?" Erwin said. Considering how banged up Levi was, he'd hoped it wasn't for nothing.

Sure enough, a cocky smirk shaped Levi's lips, the glint in his glare just a bit too harsh. "Who the fuck do you think you're talking to."

"Of course, I won't make that mistake again." Erwin said with a smile. "Start wiping the blood off your chest while I get more bandages."

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o0

* * *

Levi woke up to a familiar heavy weight on his chest, a cool spot of Eren's drool pooling over his shoulder. He carefully lifted Eren off and back on to the bed. Levi yawned, scratching his ass as he walked out the bedroom, closing the door behind him. .

On autopilot, Levi made himself a cup of coffee and sat by the counter, taking in the aroma of the coffee that was brewing. He heard the door open followed by the tiny pitter patters of Eren's footstep. Eren walked towards Levi and held his arms up in the air. Levi picked up the 6 year old, setting him on the counter.

"Eren, what are you doing up?" He asked. Eren rubbed his eyes, yawning.

"You weren't in bed." He mumbled, head drooping forward then jerking back up.

"Go back to sleep." He said. Eren stubbornly shook his head. Levi stared at the clock hung up on the wall. It was close to 5am and while Eren usually woke up first, he was always energetic and loud.

Right now he looked lackluster and paler than usual. He pressed a hand against Eren's forehead. It was hotter than usual.

Maybe he was getting sick?

"I don't want to go back to bed alone." Eren mumbled.

Levi grabbed Eren off the counter and walked to the living room, sitting down on the black recliner. He took the blanket that was draped over the armrest and covered Eren and himself with it.

"Let's sleep together then." He said. Eren yawned then nodded, head resting against Levi's shoulder. Soon enough, he felt drool dribbling down his shoulder.

"I should start wearing a shirt."

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o0

* * *

Levi woke up again 3 hours later, late for class.

Eren was still asleep in his arms but he was shivering. Levi shifted Eren around, pressing a hand to Eren's forehead. He was definitely hotter now. He stood and placed Eren down on the couch beside the recliner. He was breathing hard but so far, he wasn't coughing.

Levi went to the kitchen, looking for Eren's medicine in the medicine cabinet but it wasn't there. He checked behind the mirror in the bathroom next. He found the bottle but it was empty.

"Fuck."

He grabbed a clean wash cloth from underneath the sink, wet it then grabbed the thermometer. Levi went to his bedroom to grab his cell phone and walked back out to the living room. He kneeled beside the couch, draping the damp cloth on Eren's forehead. He stuck the thermometer in Eren's mouth and waited.

This wasn't the first time he's ever taken care of a sick Eren.

As a baby, Eren was prone to fevers and was often sick. Carla had made sure she'd beaten in what to do in case Eren ever became sick under his care into Levi's mind. As Eren grew older, he's immunity system got stronger and the number of times he'd get sick because of a fever became less and less. By now, Levi knew what to expect and all the danger signs.

Except for the part of not having Eren's medicine.

Levi checked the thermometer; it was close to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It wasn't bad but it could get worse. Eren's fevers had a tendency to spike. But there was no medicine and he couldn't leave Eren alone.

He grabbed his phone and called Erwin. It rang thrice before Erwin picked up.

"…hello?" His gruff morning voice sounded muffled.

"Wake the hell up, I need your help." He said, cutting straight to the point.

"Good morning, Levi." Erwin replied. He heard a rustle and a long groan as Erwin was most likely getting up from bed.

"I need you to come over to pick up Eren's health insurance card then go to the pharmacy to get a refill of his medicine."

"Is he sick?" Erwin sounded more awake and Levi heard more rustling.

"A bit. Eren's fever likes to fuck around with him." He looked back to Eren and pressed his hand against Eren's neck. "Get here as soon as you can."

"Alright." Erwin said. Levi hung up the call and took away the cloth from Eren's forehead. He went back to the kitchen to wet it again, squeezing the cloth of excess water. Cloth in hand, he went back to Eren and placed it back on his forehead.

Levi sat back on the recliner and grabbed his laptop from the coffee table in front of him to send an email to his professor. After that he called the daycare, informing Ilse of Eren's absence. With those two done, he set his laptop back on the table.

He stared at Eren, noticing his breathing had become heavier. His body was telling him he should be doing something more than just watching Eren but at the moment, he'd done all he could. Was this how Carla felt when she took care of Eren? Kind of useless? Levi sighed and cleared his mind.

There was no use entertaining those thoughts. Levi gathered Eren into his arms and took him to bed.

Levi carefully changed Eren into a new set of pajamas and laid him to bed. He took his temperature once more, seeing that it hadn't changed from before. Levi left the room, leaving the door open.

He went to the kitchen and decided to clean the living room. It was better than letting his nerves get the best of him.

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

* * *

When Erwin rang the doorbell an hour later, Levi grabbed Eren's health insurance card and handed it over to Erwin, sending him right back out before he even had the chance to use the spare key Levi had given him. Erwin returned, an hour later, with the medicine and he sat by the counter as he watched Levi go check on Eren.

Eren's fever still hadn't risen but neither had it dropped. But at least he felt some reassurance knowing he had Eren's medicine in case things took a turn for the worse. He pressed his hand against Eren's flushed face, watching the rise and fall of his chest as he slept.

"How's Eren?" Erwin asked, watching Levi enter the kitchen.

"About the same as before." Levi set a plate of rice and seasoned chicken, along with a bottle of beer in front of Erwin.

"I drink more than just beer."

"Oh, so you want something else?" Levi replied, an eyebrow arched as he reached for the bottle.

"This is fine." Erwin kept his hand at the base of the cold bottle. Levi grabbed his own bottle from the fridge and sat across from Erwin.

"Did Carla ever find out you loved her?" Erwin casually asked. Levi coughed on his drink, quickly setting the bottle down before he dropped it. He wiped his mouth, openly glaring at Erwin's calm face.

"What the hell brought this up?"

"You never told me what happened and seeing you act mother hen over Eren made me a little curious." Erwin replied. "Sometimes it's a bit jarring from how you used to act."

"I was a little shit," Levi said. "I'm fully aware of that."

"And Carla?"

"Why the hell are you asking these questions now?"

"I haven't had you to myself lately." Erwin leaned against the counter, his plate of food nearly empty. Levi was inclined to smack him for that but he sighed instead.

"So I never told you?"

"Never mentioned anything after you came home utterly wrecked that night." Erwin replied.

Levi shoved the bottle aside, reaching behind him to open the fridge for another bottle. He wasn't going out so another wouldn't hurt.

"Mothers are scary." Levi started. "She knew longer than I thought she knew. A week before Eren was due, I was working in the shop while she was on leave and even though her doctor told her to rest, she came in to check."

"What did she say?"

"She didn't apologize." Levi remained quiet until Erwin spoke up.

"That's it?"

Levi nodded. "That's all you need know."

Erwin sighed as he grabbed his empty plate and brought it to the sink. "Well, okay." He stood behind Levi, placing his hands on his shoulders, raising an eyebrow as he felt the tension in those thin shoulders. He was about to comment when Eren's deathly wails alerted them. Levi was gone in an instant to Eren's side.

Erwin sat down on the stool, watching Levi pace around in the hallway with Eren in his arms. Levi was surprisingly maternal. It was probably due to Carla's influence or maybe Eren himself. Erwin knew for sure Levi didn't pick up those instincts from his home.

"You have that stupid look on your face." Levi said, walking towards him with Eren. Eren was slumped against Levi, asleep and dribbling on Levi's shoulder again.

Erwin chuckled. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"That look right there." He pointed to Erwin's face. "Stop it."

"Right." He stood, leaning in close to place a chaste kiss on Levi then leaning away quickly before he was smacked for that. An all too familiar glare bore at him; one Erwin was well used to. "Do you need anything else?"

Levi's glare softened and he shook his head, "Thanks Erwin."

* * *

0o0o0o0o0

* * *

**Eruri gives me life**

**even tho this is a levi/eren fic**

**why not both**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hanji knows how to manipulate Levi**

**And Petra judges Levi's poor choice of clothes**

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o

* * *

"Whose kid is that?"

"Isn't he kinda cute?"

"I guess even with a scary face, someone like Levi can have a kid."

With that not so subtle whisper, Levi shut his textbook with a sharp snap, leveling a glare towards the women crowded around a nearby shelf. They immediately scattered and continued to gossip amongst themselves away from earshot. Levi sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose.

It wasn't like him to be affected by their senseless comments but the daycare was closed for the summer so he had to bring Eren along with him to his classes and work. And with the finals a week away, he was feeling slightly more drained than usual. Levi wasn't worried about passing his actual courses. More like, he was anxious to have the whole spring semester done with.

Eren sat beside him, playing a game on Levi's iPad. He started to open his textbook, with the full intention of continuing his studies, but his concentration was ruined. Four hours of study was enough for one day either way.

He gathered his textbook and placed it inside his messenger bag along with his notebook and pen. Noticing his movement, Eren set the iPad on the table.

"Are you done?"

Levi nodded, "Let's go grab lunch."

Eren nodded and stuffed the iPad into his own little bag. He held Levi's hand as they walked out the library. Despite it being late may, the sun was making damn sure it blazed the ground it shone upon. Most of the students on campus dressed in short shorts and tank tops. The weather in Trost was fickle and considering finals were approaching, it was understandable that they wanted to take advantage of the beautiful weather.

And that included everybody, Levi noted as he spotted Hanji waving towards them. She sported the short shorts with a beige short sleeve button up and had a rather devious grin plastered on her face.

A chill ran down Levi's spine. That grin meant trouble.

"Hanji!" Eren waved madly. Levi calculated how much effort it would take to pick Eren up and run the opposite way. As it was, there was still time before he got too close.

"Levi~!" She shouted, hands positioned on her hips.

Eren was still light enough to haul away at the speed of light.

"Hanji, you're reminding me of Erwin." Levi said as he got closer.

"Eh, that's rude. I got a suggestion for you."

"Whatever you're plotting can't be good."

"You haven't even heard of my plan!"

Levi shifted his weight to one foot, crossed his arms across his chest, and blatantly stared. "So what is this suggestion?"

Hanji grinned and she knelt in front of Eren, to Levi's surprise. "Hey Eren, what are you doing this summer?"

Eren shrug, "I dunno."

"Do you want to come with me on a fun trip?"

"What trip?" Eren asked, already captivated. Levi watched and he could tell this wasn't going to go his way.

"I have this super big house out by the beach with its very own pool and the beach real close!" She spread out her arms, emphasizing her words. "I want to invite you and Levi when Levi's done with classes but I think Levi might say no because he's a big grumpy dork."

"Hanji…"

Before he could get another word in, Eren turned towards him with hopeful eyes. Levi froze and he could see the want and excitement already bubbling within Eren. He glared at Hanji whom had the most shit-eating grin as she watched, clearly enjoying his dilemma.

"Do you want to go to Hanji's summer house, Eren?" He asked, already knowing his response. Sure enough, Eren nodded.

He suppressed a groan and nodded. Hanji shouted in victory, getting to her feet again. "It's settled! We're leaving on the Friday after the finals are done next week. And since you're coming, Erwin's sure to come."

"Hanji!" Levi and Eren turned back to see a man running towards them.

"Whoops, gotta go. See you later!" She ran away the opposite way with a laugh. Levi stepped aside as the guy stopped in front of him to catch his breath.

"Molbit, I see you're still working with her."

The brunet nodded, straightening up. "We're almost done with our final lab report but Hanji decided to run off at the last minute."

"She tends to do that when it sunny like this. Or when she feels like it really. Why bother?"

"She's a really good scientist. I learn a lot just by watching her in the lab. But if she could just focus on lab work more…"

"Color me surprised. Here I thought you liked her." The man sputtered, nervously running his hand though his hair as he looked at everywhere but Levi. His face and the tips of his ears were turning red.

"A-Anyways, I need to go catch up to her. I'll see you later." Molbit ran off towards the direction Hanji had left. Levi watched Molbit run towards Hanji in the distance. Hanji was chatting up with another friend when Molbit approached. She ran around the friend she was talking to, laughing and dodging poor Molbit.

"Eren, I hope you turn out normal." He said, looking down at his tiny wild-haired child. For whatever reason, Eren really liked to spend time with Hanji. He hoped none of her behaviors became imprinted on Eren.

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o

* * *

Before he knew it, the weekend had passed and the finals for his classes were upon him. Levi talked to his professors beforehand about bringing Eren and assured them he wouldn't be a problem during the exams.

His exams, for the worst possible outcome, were held on the same day on Wednesday. The first one started at nine in the morning and the last one didn't end until eight at night. Each exam lasted three hours and there was an hour break in between each. On the bright side, at least they were all on the same day but that was a very tiny light in what was to be a long day.

He and Eren were okay with the first two exams. Eren had the iPad and a 3DS to keep him busy. They had lunch with Petra and Eld, both whom were chest high in highlighted notes and textbook. When they entered the room for the third exam, Eren was asleep as soon as he sat down.

Luckily, Levi was able to finish that exam an hour early and left with Eren.

When they arrived home, Levi immediately made a beeline to the bedroom. He dumped Eren on the bed and collapsed right next to him, falling asleep within seconds.

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o

* * *

The following day, Levi woke up once, to feed Eren breakfast, then went back to sleep until twelve. When he walked out the bedroom, Eren was where he was exactly five hours ago but with a new movie playing and his toys all strewn about in front of him.

"Good morning, Levi!"

"Anything happened while I was sleeping?"

"Hanji called a whole lot and said to make sure you pack up for tomorrow!"

Levi resisted the urge to go back to sleep and headed for the kitchen. He grabbed the carton of milk from the fridge, pouring himself a glass. With a box of Oreos in hand, he made his way to Eren and sat beside the boy. Eren immediately made a grab for the Oreos, setting it on his lap.

"We won't need much." He leaned back on the couch, resting his head back. He started to think of all the things they would need while Eren munched on some cookies. Levi grumbled as he realized Hanji didn't say how long they would be gone.

"Eren, where's my phone?" He asked, not bothering to lift his head. Eren scrambled off the couch then came back with Levi's phone in hand.

"Mmf!" He said through a mouthful of cookie. Levi lifted his head to text Hanji the question of how long she planned to take them away then rested his head back.

First thing to get were bathing suits. Eren didn't have any trunks. Or for that matter, he really didn't have any summer clothes. Nearly all of it was burned in the fire. That was a slight problem. If he didn't want Eren to run around with his winter clothes, he'd have to fix that problem soon. He needed shoes too. Socks, shorts, underwear…

The kid needed a whole damn wardrobe.

"Eren!"

The boy flinched and turned back, his cheeks puffed out and Oreo crumbs all around his mouth. He looked worried.

"Sorry, Eren, I didn't mean to yell. Finish your cookie." Eren nodded and continued to chew, swallowing it down with the glass of milk. "Let's get dressed. You need clothes."

Eren looked down at his shirt and tugged, gazing back at Levi. "New clothes, you smarta—" Levi stopped himself in time. Eren grabbed one more cookie from the bag before he ran off to his bedroom.

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o0

* * *

Trost was mainly a university town. Family homes, Trost's university dormitories, the university itself, the local junior and high school, and a few family run shops were the only things of interest within the town. There wasn't much to do if one wanted to look for entertainment. Luckily enough, the closest city with anything to do within it, Sina, was only a thirty minute drive away.

And that included the grand mall near the edge of the city.

Levi parked the car near the cinema entrance and held Eren's hand until they were inside. Thankfully, it wasn't crowded as it usually was, maybe due to the fact that it was 1am on a weekday. It was easier to shop with less people around so Levi appreciated that one small joy.

"Levi! Where are we going?"

Eren was bouncing up and down, his hand clutching Levi's.

"We're getting your clothes for the summer."

"Just clothes?" He asked with a hopeful expression.

Levi nodded as they walked. "Just clothes." Levi led Eren to the first kids' store he saw, browsing the collection of summer clothes they've had. Eren walked around Levi, slowly wandering towards the toy section.

"Eren, come here." Levi called out. Eren longingly stared at the toys as he trudged back to Levi's side. Levi looked through the shirts, checking the size against Eren's chest. He picked a few light colored shirts and a couple of denim shorts then made his way to the dresser.

"Here." He said, pulling out a white short sleeve button down and a pair of shorts. "Put these on and come out." Eren nodded and disappeared behind the door. Levi sat down on a bench with the other clothes as he waited. Eren came out a minute later, looking down at the shirt.

"I know you can do better than this, Levi."

Levi looked beside him. Petra was shaking her head slightly as she noticed the clothes he held in his arms. He noticed she was wearing the stores shirt. "When did you start working here?"

"Two month ago," She replied. "Are you really going to get Eren these clothes?"

"What are wrong with these?"

She shook her head, grabbing the clothes from his arms. "What size is Eren?"

"A small." He answered. Petra nodded and walked back out to the front. Eren stared at Levi, wondering what just happened. Levi shrugged and told Eren to change back to his old clothes. When they walked back out, Petra was already walking back towards them with more vibrant and a variety of different shirts and shorts than he had previously picked out.

"He should try these instead." She said, handing the bundle of clothes to Levi. She pulled out a light green t-shirt with the silhouette of a shark and white plaid shorts. "Here, Eren, can you put these one?"

Eren nodded as he grabbed the clothes and went back inside the dressing room. Levi glanced at the smile on Petra's face.

"You're having fun." He noted.

Petra grinned. "It'd be a shame to have Eren dress in plain clothes." Eren stepped back out, happily patting the shirt. Petra's smile became gentler as she knelt in front of Eren, fixing the hem of his shirt. "What else are you going to get?"

Levi looked down at the clothes in his arms. There were about 4 complete outfits. "Four more outfits and I guess underwear and socks since we're here. I'm gonna get his shoes at another store." Her smile brightened and she went back out front to gather more outfits for Eren.

"Levi, can I get a toy, please?" Eren said, giving him the best puppy eyes he could muster. Levi stared at him but Eren was completely indifferent to his stare. By now, Eren could differentiate between Levi normal stare and his actual serious glare. It might've been Levi's imagination but he could've sworn Eren was using that face more and more against him. Either way, Levi wasn't winning this contest.

"Change back to your old clothes and we'll wait for Petra to come back. Think you can wait?"

"Yes!" He excitable replied, rushing back into the dressing room. When Eren stepped back out and handed the new clothes back to Levi, they went back out to the store front. Levi picked up a new packet of socks and underwear while Petra finished picking out the other outfits. He made the line as Petra handed the rest of the clothes to him. She went to the other register and flagged him over.

"I'll give you the employee discount." She said as he reached the register.

"You didn't hold back at all, did you." He said as she rung up the clothes. Petra blushed and sheepishly grinned.

"Don't tell anyone at all," She said as she leaned slightly forward. "But I want to have a child one day. I mean, my education degree comes first then marriage, but having kids is something I've always thought about." She started to bag his items into bags while she hummed happily. Eren bounced on his feet beside Levi, eyes trained on the airplane toy he picked out. Petra placed it in its own bag and handed it to Eren.

"Thank you, Petra." Levi said, grabbing the rest.

"No problem. And next time, call me if you're going shopping for Eren! You don't have as much taste as you think you do."

"So dressing Eren in a little biker outfit is something I shouldn't do?" He asked.

Petra laughed and shook her head. "Just… call me, 'kay?"

Levi smiled and nodded. Eren waved goodbye as they left towards the shoe store. Sneakers were much easier things to shop for and the pair was in and out of that store in less than twenty minutes. They made it back home by noon, picking up pizza on their way back. While Eren ate his 2ndand 3rd slice, Levi packed their clothes for the upcoming trip Hanji had so thoughtfully planned.

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o

* * *

"I don't think.."

"Shh…."

"Hanji, he's going to murder you."

"Don't care."

"Jee, what're you doing?"

"Something fun." Hanji replied as she gently grabbed the doorknob to Levi's room.

It was 12am and Levi had gone to bed early. Eren was in the living room, watching a movie while he played with his blocks and an airplane toy. Using Erwin's spare key, Hanji and Erwin walked into the apartment. Hanji had shushed Eren quickly as she slinked towards the bedroom. Erwin merely stood to the side as he watched her.

Hanji slowly opened the door and crept in. Eren made to follow but Erwin held him back. He knelt beside him and shook his head. "It's going to get ugly in there so stay out here."

Eren nodded and they watched.

It was quiet in the room. Erwin and Eren were both straining to hear what was happening in the room without actually getting near the door. Erwin knew from experience never to be by the door and Eren just instinctively knew. There was a soft intake of breath as Hanji suddenly screamed. Followed by a barrage of swears foul enough to have Erwin hastily cover Eren's ears. Hanji skidded out the room, a pillow flinging past her and smacking the wall.

"You SHITTY NERD!" He ran out in his boxers, running after her. He landed a solid kick across her ass, causing her to fall and topple over the sofa. She was laughing, her breathe coming out as wheezing. Eren stared wide-eyed at Levi, hands covering his mouth. Levi's head snapped towards Erwin, a heated soul crushing glare aimed at the older man.

Erwin picked Eren up and held him in front of his face. "Language." He said behind Eren's body.

Levi placed his hands over Eren's ears and very quietly muttered, "What the fuck are you shit stains doing here at this goddamn hour?"

"Our trip starts now!" Hanji replied, spying the packed suitcases Levi had left out in the living room. Without waiting for his reply, she grabbed them both and hauled them away. This left Erwin the dangerous task of explaining. Levi grabbed Eren and settled his glare at Erwin.

"You won't have to drive at all." Erwin bartered. Levi kept staring murder at the blond until he eventually relaxed.

"I don't even want to look at the wheel." Levi said after a pause. Erwin nodded and Levi set Eren down on the floor. He went back into the bedroom to put on actual clothes, grabbed his keys and wallet, and the small backpack he had prepared with Eren's extra clothes and snacks. With Eren in tow, Levi followed Erwin out the apartment, locking the doors behind him.

Out on the street were two parked cars. Hanji was in the driver seat of a dark blue jeep wrangler with Petra in the passenger seat and a sleeping Molbit in the back. The other car was Erwin's; a silver altima Nissan. Eren slipped into the back seat and Levi took the passenger seat, immediately reclining back the seat. With Erwin in the passenger seat, Hanji started her car and Erwin followed.

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o0o

* * *

The drive to Hanji's house by the beach was six hours away from Trost. True to Erwin's word, Levi slept throughout the entire trip, not even waking up when Molbit switched with Erwin halfway out the countryside. It wasn't until the car took a turn down a hill, the road leading to a driveway that lead to a 2-story tan building with large windows. A balcony jutted out from the second floor, looking over the patio and pool below. The beach was right behind the house at the base of the small hill. And further along, past the driveway, the road continued to what appeared to be a small town further in the distance.

Hanji's jeep took a turn on the driveway, driving close to the front door. Molbit, currently driving the Nissan, followed and parked right aside the jeep. Hanji jumped out of her car, a grin plastered on her face. She proudly stared at her home and faced the parked cars and their sleepy inhabitants.

"Welcome to the best relaxing two weeks you'll ever have!"

"God, I regret this already." Levi mumbled, glaring at her through the windshield.

"She means well." Erwin said from the back seat. Levi looked up at the rearview window, giving the blond a particularly nasty glare as well.

"…I know she does." He said, ending with a defeated sigh. His eyes flickered downwards to notice Eren completely sprawled all over Erwin's lap. "Did he wake up at all?"

"Once when Molbit came to take over the driving but he's been as passed out as you." Levi nodded and turned back towards the front, stepping out the car. Petra, Hanji, and Molbit were already heading inside. Erwin stepped out with Eren in his arms.

Inside the house, the 1st floor was one massive open space, with the kitchen towards the left and the living room towards the right. The stairs leading to the second floor was right across the front door. Wicker furniture complimented the white walls and beige curtains on the windows.

"The rooms are upstairs. Levi, you should take one of the master rooms, it has an extra bed for Eren. It'll be the last door on your right." Hanji said from the kitchen.

"Thanks." Levi said, as he made his way upstairs. Erwin followed behind. The second floor continued the color scheme of white and beige. Except for the floor, it was laid with carpet rather than the marble polished tiles downstairs. His room was right where Hanji said and true to her word, there was a twin-sized bed set across a king sized bed. The wall opposite the door was entirely made up of 3 large windows. The room even had its own bathroom.

"I forget how soft these beds are." Levi said as he threw himself on the king sized bed. Erwin gently laid Eren on his own bed and joined Levi.

"We're not doing anything." Levi said.

"I wasn't thinking of it." Erwin replied, almost immediately. He wrapped his arms around Levi's waist, pressing him closer to his chest. Levi didn't stop it, feeling Erwin rest his chin on top of his head. Levi would've protested further but he couldn't bring himself to do so. It has been a long time since he could be close to Erwin like this. He wasn't going to act coy now.

Levi turned around in Erwin's arm, pressing his body closer. He breathed in deeply and pressed his forehead against Erwin's chest. "I'm not going to continue classes," Levi said. "I'm thinking of opening the flower shop again."

"You're just going to stop?"

Levi nodded. "I know how to run the shop by myself. And being able to manage my own hours gives me more time to spend with Eren. I think that's more important right now."

"And your day job?"

"I've already quit. I have enough in my savings to last me a few months and the bribes I get from her will definitely help."

"Calling them bribes is a little much." Erwin said, brushing back Levi's hair. Levi scowled, thinking of his mother. After she had a child of her own when Levi was seventeen, she'd all but started to forget he even existed. With Erwin's help, he managed to convince her to provide Levi with a monthly allowance and paid for college until he turned 24. He'd saved a majority of those checks in the bank and was set for the next three years.

And he didn't want to see Carla's shop go to waste.

"Either way, it'll be easier for the both of us." He closed his eyes, feeling Erwin's hand slip underneath his shirt. He started to rub soothing circles against his lower back. Forgetting where he was, Levi moaned softly as Erwin kneaded his fingers harder against Levi's waist.

"Levi?"

Levi's eyes shot open and he all but punched Erwin off the bed, scrambling away from the bed itself. He straightened up, smoothing down his shirt. Erwin righted himself, sitting back on the bed, maintaining his usual poker face despite the fact he wanted to laugh at the concerned expression Levi wore.

Eren was yawning, rubbing his still closed eyes. "Levi, I'm hungry," He mumbled.

"Right," He hastily said, taking Eren's hand. "Let's go see what Hanji has downstairs."

Eren nodded slowly, yawning again as he followed Levi. Erwin walked out with them and very stealthily placed a hand on Levi's waist as Eren ran ahead towards the stairs. "Let's remember to relax while we're here."

Levi brushed off Erwin's hand, muttering a 'gross' underneath his breathe but wasn't able to stop the smirk from shaping his lips.

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o

* * *

**Sorry for the late posting, I had this chapter up on Ao3 first but then Anime Boston happened then I had to not sleep in order to catch up with finals**

**I promise this is the only time this happens [maybe]**


End file.
